a. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to glass-melting furnaces. In particular, the instant invention relates to an oxygen-fuel burner that incinerates organic contaminants on waste glass cullet before depositing molten waste glass cullet onto the glass surface below.
b. Background Art
It is known that waste glass cullet results from any glass manufacturing process. This waste glass cullet must either be disposed of in landfills or processed for reintroduction as a raw material.
Waste glass cullet typically includes organic contaminants that would affect the quality of the final glass product if not removed. Reuse of waste glass cullet as a raw material, however, is complicated. In the glass container industry, for example, these organic contaminants are removed by raising the cullet temperature above 650 degrees C. Similarly, the continuous filament glass fiber industry collects and processes waste glass from its processes by grinding and heating the waste above 650 degrees C. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that heating waste glass cullet to at least 650 degrees C. helps ensure that all organic contaminants are incinerated before the waste glass cullet is reused.
Reuse of waste glass cullet as a raw material is also expensive. Indeed, one of the most significant expenses in a glass manufacturing process is the removal of organic materials from waste glass cullet prior to reintroduction as a raw material.
Against this backdrop, raw material costs are rising, production of glass wool for insulation is increasing, and environmental regulations are making landfill disposal less viable.